The project intends to examine the relationship between alcohol use and specific aspects of the interactional behavior in families containing chronic alcoholic members. The emphasis in the project is on the chronic phase of alcoholism. The objective is the demonstration of relationships between alcoholism variables and specific patterns of interactional behavior within a family. Such associative links, if established, will help us to understand more about the role the family plays in the maintenance of chronic alcoholism. The research design establishes a rich clinical environment in which families are studied in three different settings: their own homes; in a multiple-family discussion group; and in a family interaction laboratory. In each setting, data collection focuses on direct observations of objectively measureable dimensions of interactional behavior. Thirty-one (31) families, each containing one alcoholic and one non-alcoholic spouse, have been studied for a six-month time period. Data collected on each family has included nine home observation sessions (35 hours of observation); 24 weekly, 90-minute MFG meetings; a single laboratory testing session; and daily behavioral logs of alcohol consumption. Utilizing this extensive data base, the study hopes to develop theoretically meaningful variables capable of classiffying the 31 "alcoholic families" along clinically statistically meaningful dimensions. These objectives are initial steps in the long-range goal of our work, the development of a typology of alcoholic families with predictive validity regarding clinical course and response to treatment intervention.